New Rebels
by BIG Z1776
Summary: Ezra's speech did more than he or the crew ever imagined. It not only inspired the people to hope it inspired some to action. These young individuals know what can happen, they're afraid, but they've stepped forward anyway. They will fight for what is right, or die trying.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a new story that I came up with after some careful thought and I'm really excited for it. I've asked for OC's from a couple authors who I know from either reviewing my stuff or reading theirs. Their characters belong to them, and I just write the story. Here are the Authors and their OC's.**

 **Trochime Fashika, Callenia Storle: Starlight Moon Midnight**

 **Segar and Gizem Algan: SueCue**

 **With proper credit given let's begin.**

Chapter 1

Lothal, Capital City

Things were quiet in Capital City, as usual. The Holonet was showing the news of the day, no big deal. But there was a gym towards the outskirts of the town that had the Holonet Sports playing, but there were no games on, just some sports analysis and interviews and whatnot. There weren't many people here, only a handful of young men and women, the oldest of which was twenty-two and the youngest being seventeen.

There were really only four of them in the small gym at this early hour with two of them in the boxing ring while the other two were just speaking at a water cooler after a long night of working out. One's name was Erisi Thorinos, a twenty-one year old girl whose friend, Callenia Storle, worked at the gym. Both were human, but Erisi was older than Callenia by four years and treated her like a little sister.

Erisi was a beautiful girl that was always teased about being a ditsy blonde, despite not being anything like that. True she was a classic visual example of being a stereotypical blonde, but despite all outward appearances she was a powerhouse of personality. Her talent for driving her speeder was legendary thanks to her job delivering a variety of pastries from the bakery across the street. She was a combination of ditsy girly-girl and tomboy, her hair was a pixie cut so it wouldn't get in her way while she helped at the bakery. On the other hand she had a set of earrings and wore makeup all the time along with a flip-flopping outfit that went from girly-girl to logical and useful.

Callenia was roughly the same size as Erisi, but slightly shorter. Her hair was red and more often than not she wore it up in a ponytail. Other than that she was very similar to Erisi except for the fact that Callenia's hair color. She was as feisty and hot-headed as the stereotype, and to an extent she was proud of it. Callenia had a habit of beating up on most people who ticked her off in the ring with a variety of methods. Sometimes it was with boxing gloves, sometimes it was with an electrostaff that they used for martial arts training, or if things really heated up they found themselves beat up with bare hands. She was more of a tomboy despite her natural beauty, and usually had similarly aged males sign up for classes, hoping for a chance with her. Most didn't last in her gym after flirting with Callenia.

Both were part of a group of friends who met here and the diner across the street for breakfast and just hanging out and being friends. The two other members of the little group were how they met and became their own little team.

The oldest of them was Titus Kendet at twenty-two. He had met Erisi taking out the trash at the diner he worked part-time at taking the trash out one night. At the same time Erisi had been taking the trash out from the bakery next door. One thing had led to another and the two had been going out now for nearly two years. Along with being the oldest and the largest he had spent long time at the gym keeping in shape. His friend who he always went with on the other hand was not here for a workout.

Trochime Fashika was actually here for the same reason that drove Callenia to drive away many gym visitors. He was trying to woo her by impressing her here at the gym where he believed she thought a guy should be able to handle himself. Of course it didn't necessarily work out that way, and he ended up hanging around, waiting and working up his courage. He thought he had a chance, but the fact was actually not human, but a near-human Kiffar, somewhat held him back. He didn't hide this like many of his people did nowadays, he had red tattoos on his arms and one stripe across his cheek bone and over his nose. He also wore his light brown hair in long dreads that always got in the way unless they were tied back. They were the sign of his clan and he was proud of this, and like those of his clan he was trying to learn the martial arts that the Kiffar were known for. But at seventeen with no one who knew them he still had a lot to learn as his sparring match with Titus was proving.

"Keep your hands up Troy," Callenia called out as the two guys circled each other, throwing light probing shots at one another. She was using the nickname they had for him, seeing as Trochime was a bit long to use in conversation.

"I know," he responded, taking his eyes off of Titus to look back at Callenia. This was a mistake.

Titus jabbed sharply with a right that struck Trochime right in the side of his head, which was protected by a padded helmet. This was a wake-up call, a rough one, as Titus had put some force behind it and sent Trochime stumbling slightly.

"Hey!" he snapped at him.

"Eyes on Troy, you know better than that," Titus chuckled.

"And get your hands up Troy come on!" Callenia urged him casually as she had everyone she'd trained to either box or in martial arts or basic self-defense.

Now with the girl he secretly had a crush on avidly paying attention the young Kiffar was eager to impress and brought his gloved hands up in an aggressive posture. Then he advanced, bobbing back and forth on his toes, rapidly darting side to side, looking for opening in his six foot two friend's defenses. With a side glance to make sure Callenia was watching he took to the offensive, attacking with rapid jabs to the face, confident in the knowledge that he wouldn't actually hurt him. Both were wearing padded boxing gloves and padded helmets for their own protection. They were somewhat awkward but health usually came first so better safe than sorry.

"There you go Troy!" Callenia encouraged him, by now leaning against the elevated boxing ring with Erisi next to her.

With a few rough jabs Titus was against the ropes, and then Trochime went after him with more fury, knowing he had the advantage. However Trochime got excited, and the older, larger Titus knew that with momentum on the attack the defense suffered. So as Trochime launched another of his rapid jabs Titus ducked slightly, and went for an upper-cut that caught Trochime right in the chin.

"Ooh…" Callenia and Erisi both groaned, as Trochime stumbled back, rocking onto his heels as he tried regaining his balance and bearings. The shot was pretty forceful, probably more than Titus had anticipated.

"That hurt," Trochime grumbled as he regained his balance and took up a much more defensive posture.

"I did say keep your hands up," Callenia chuckled.

The two of them went back at it, trading light jabs, probing and testing the defenses of the other. However, another thing they kept an eye on were the girls. Both were attracted to the two, and as young guys they felt that here in the ring their performance was of the utmost importance to impressing them. But the girls cared very little in all actuality. To them it was just fun, and nothing the two of them did in the ring would truly impress them. Well at least Callenia wouldn't have been impressed because she was an instructor and probably knew her way around the ring better than Trochime did.

This didn't stop the two guys and they kept trading blows, mostly light and undamaging ones. But from time to time one would land a pretty good shot. When Titus got a good shot one time he noticed the girls weren't watching. Instead they'd moved to the treadmills facing the window, and were jogging with the holonet playing in front of them from its place on the window facing towards the row of running machines.

Trochime saw this as well, and was kind of bummed out, and Titus saw this as well. But typical of him, he took one good punch at Trochime as he frowned at the lack of an audience from a girl he'd been trying to impress. With a sly left hook Titus caught him in the top of the head on the padded helmet, snapping Trochime back to reality.

"Do it a third time I'll KO you," he chuckled at his younger friend.

"Oh you will?" Trochime grinned cockily and fired off a one-two punch of a left jab and right hook.

Titus didn't see them coming, taking the left jab to the padded cheek and took a glancing blow from the hook. He stumbled backwards, bringing his hands up in defense as Trochime threw two more hooks at him, trying to press his advantage. This didn't last long before Titus threw a pair of jabs that Trochime dodged and then blocked with his hands before attempting a body shot that just barely made contact thanks to the larger stature of Titus, which kept Trochime away from him. To this Titus jabbed low, trying to lower his friend's defenses, which he did, and with a left hook he attacked, catching Trochime across the face.

This time Trochime went down, spinning down and went flat onto his back.

"Good thing I have a mouth guard huh?" Trochime grumbled as he got up.

"Not good enough," Titus replied, lowering his hands to his side, "You're bleeding."

"Really where?" he asked, bringing his glove up to find where he was now bleeding.

"Nose," Titus responded.

"Don't touch it!" Callenia called out immediately upon hearing that Trochime was bleeding, "Oh and get off my mat please."

She jumped off of the treadmill, and walked over to Trochime who was getting out of the boxing ring. Before he was even on the ground she grabbed him by the arm and sat him down on a bench against the wall.

"So concerned about me, maybe Titus should clock me more often," he laughed as he now saw a drip of scarlet blood on his shirt.

With her back turned to him Callenia blushed a bright red, and fought it down as best she could as she dug out a first aid kit to tend to a boy she actually had a thing for. Although being the kind of girl she was, she preferred to let him make the first move and show some passive flirting disguised as good-natured teasing like she would to a normal friend.

"Head back Troy, it's your nose," she managed to say as she put the pack next to him on the bench.

He did as he was told, and leaned back, leaning his head against the wall, his chest rising as he tried recovering from the strenuous exercise that was their sparring. She hesitated a bit, noting how cute he was and how easy it might be to sneak a kiss while his face was angled up towards her. Instead of this she decided on something else, she took her free hand and flicked his nose.

"Ow!" he yelped aloud, clearly hurting.

"That's for interrupting my workout," Callenia innocently cooed, "And to see how bad it is."

"Well it must be pretty bad, it hurts!" Trochime whined, holding a gloved hand over his nose, glaring at her as she rolled up a strip of gauze and yanked his hand down and put it in, but far more gently. Trochime winced as she put it in and handed him a towel.

"Big baby, clean yourself up and no more boxing today," she laughed as she saw several other locals who usually came along for a workout. But right behind them came a pair of children.

They were the son and daughter of the owner. Both were Twi'leks, Gizem, the younger of the two at nine, was a light blue in color, very much like her mother. Her lekku were actually quite long for her age, and went nearly to her hips. She was as kind and caring as anyone, thanks to how she'd been raised by her single mother. All Gizem wanted to ever really do was help, and would become irate if she couldn't. Her brother Segar, older by a year, was not as genuinely caring. He saw himself as a warrior, taking more after his father, who his mother always told him was a Twi'lek bodyguard for Ryloth's Senator. He was always in the gym, play fighting with his friends or punching bags, trying to become like his father. He wanted to become his family's protector, and so he was usually sporting bruises from defending his sister. Unfortunately he was a hothead, and picked fights he wasn't able to win.

"Hey kiddos," Callenia called out.

"Hi Cally," Gizem replied loudly, running over to her while Segar ran over to Titus.

The young Twi'lek ran over to him and put up his hands, pretending to box with him. It was a classic thing for Segar to beg to box with the guys, seeing himself as one of them and able to stand with them.

"Come on Titus, put 'em up," the young boy said with a terse demand, ready to throw down against someone who was twice his size.

"Gotta reach me first," Titus chuckled, putting a gloved hand on Segar's head, causing the child to lash out with futile effort with his hands, unable to reach.

"No fair," he grumbled, bummed out at his small size.

"Like I said, when you can reach we'll spar," Titus chuckled, rubbing his head as he went over to put his gloves in the dirty bin.

From there he walked over to where Erisi was still jogging on the treadmill, with some ear buds in and listening to music. He got on the one next to her, setting the machine to match her speed, not wanting his girlfriend to outwork him. She gave him a quick glance and smiled at him before continuing.

"So, you made him bleed again?" Erisi asked.

"Oops," Titus chuckled.

"You did it on purpose," she whispered, arching an eyebrow as she figured things out.

"Figured if I can get him and Callenia along together he'd take a shot," Titus responded and looked back at the two of them as they looked back at their two friends who were talking quietly, so they weren't able to really hear everything.`

"Some grand scheme then huh? Let's see if it works."

"My plan worked last time, after all, we're together."

"I was the target of a scam?" Erisi sarcastically asked.

"Well…"

Erisi flashed a knowing yet affectionate look that she often shared with Titus. The two of them had known about the crush that the two younger teens shared for one another but neither had taken that next step. They had, and as a result the past few months had been truly wonderful for the two of them. This was something that they wanted for their two friends.

"We have been called criminals, but we are not. We are rebels, fighting for the people, fighting for you."

The holonet screen above the treadmills had just done something. Instead of the sports analysis that had been playing earlier there was an orange image of a symbol, a symbol that had been banned from being reproduced or even viewed. But they knew what it was, everyone knew what it was. This was the symbol that the rebels left whenever they struck at the Empire, and here they were now. Striking at the Empire in the biggest way they ever had.

"I'm not that old, but I remember a time when things were better on Lothal. Maybe not great, but never like this. See what the Empire has done to your lives to your families and your freedom?"

Everyone in the gym did some soul searching there as this young voice spoke out. Defying the might of the Empire publicly, calling for the people to remember what this planet once was.

"It's only going to get worse. Unless we stand up and fight back! It won't be easy, there'll be loss and sacrifice but we can't back done because we're afraid."

They were afraid, they all knew what could happen if they tried to do as he'd said. But more importantly, they knew he was right.

"That's what my parents taught me. That's what my new family helped me remember!"

Titus looked over at Erisi, and he saw the same look he knew was on his face. One of quiet contemplation, unwilling to truly bring himself to agree. He and everyone else was inspired. But still, they were afraid.

"Stand up together, because that's when we're strongest! As one."

And as if knowing the Empire was going to take him off the air the message ended. Perhaps the young boy had more to say, but the static on the screen let them know that this message was over. But a new fight was about to begin.

 **That's chapter one and I'm quite proud of this, seeing as only two of the characters are really mine and I had to create them from the descriptions given to me. Anyone who has done that before knows it's a challenge. Hopefully I can get another chapter out as soon as I can, so in the meantime, tell me what you think, any suggestions, thoughts, or questions, leave it in a review and I or one of the authors I'm working with will get back to you.**

 **Next Chapter Preview: The kids get into their first fight and it probably won't end well. Let's do it!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lothal, Capital City

Gizem and Segar hadn't heard the call to action on the holonet. They'd entered their mother's gym, and after saying hello to Titus, Erisi, Trochime, and Callenia they'd gone straight to the roof where their mother few a vegetable garden. Once out there they'd gone straight to a relatively young Yogan tree. Their plan was as simple as it was ill-advised.

They'd grabbed the Yogans from the ground that their mother allowed to drop and rushed them over to the wall where they peaked over the edge and sought out targets. They weren't actually wasting these fallen fruits. In fact they were mildly toxic as they were now. Yogan trees don't produce edible fruit for three years after they begin bearing said fruits. So what do a pair of young children think of when they have easily thrown, unwanted fruits? Throw them at passers-by of course.

"Aww…" Gizem pouted as she looked over the edge and saw that there wasn't a soul in range.

"Where is everyone?" Segar asked, more out of curiosity.

Gizem grumbled unintelligibly in a way that just said 'I don't know' and continued looking. But when they turned their heads right they saw the unmistakable white armor of Stormtroopers.

"Look, bucket heads," Gizem called out, bouncing in excitement at the prospect of a target to throw at.

"Yeah…get ready," Segar grinned happily, now assured in the prospect of a target.

And they were some big ones. A column of white armored Stormtroopers, eight of them, with an Imperial officer walking out in front of them. They were on patrol, doing whatever it was that Imperial patrols felt like doing. It couldn't have been good, as they were Imperials and that was what they did.

"Return to your homes or be arrested!" the Imperial officer commanded a pair of people standing at the corner, "By the order of Governor Tarkin."

The two citizens didn't want trouble and obeyed, walking away from the Imperial squad without comment. However before the Imperials could continue one of them jumped in surprise as a yogan landed with a splat right at his feet from above. The Imperials all looked to the splattered green and blue fruit and then looked up as another one landed right on the helmet of one of the troopers.

"Got him!" Gizem hollered as Segar dropped another yogan, aiming right at the officer. This time he missed again.

The officer simply sidestepped as the fruit splattered on the street next to him. His face was a mix of annoyance and anger as he pointed up at them and signaled to his troopers.

"Arrest them!" he ordered loudly, and four Stormtroopers rushed to the door.

"Uh oh," Gizem mumbled as she looked towards her big brother, who now wore a mask of fear.

"Gizem, Segar!" a voice cried out behind them and they turned to see their mother coming onto the roof.

Kia Algan was a picture of beauty, as most all Twi'leks were. Her light blue skin was a visible source for where her children got their own looks. She was wearing her own workout clothes as she was preparing for the day working in her gym. But that wouldn't be happening today.

"What are you two doing?" Kia demanded of her two children, who she'd heard on the roof and saw them at the wall looking down with some inedible yogans next to them.

"Kia!" another voice called out and the source of that voice, Callenia, ran out onto the roof, "Stormtroopers just ran into the gym."

The young redhead had shut the door behind her and her tone was quite fearful as the look in her eyes showed. But that wasn't for herself, that fear was for her boss and her children.

"Oh no," Kia barely got out as she put two and two together and figured out why the Stormtroopers were here. And then four troopers came through the door right behind Callenia who turned in surprise and had a blaster rifle in her face as the other three aimed their weapons at the three Twi'leks.

"Hands up!" the lead Stormtrooper wearing the orange shoulder pauldron ordered them.

"Please, they're-they're just children," Kia begged the trooper who paid her no mind as they came towards them on two sides.

Both young children whimpered as their mother put her arms around them protectively, unwilling to move away from her. Callenia as well was not wanting to let this happen, but the blaster and the Stormtrooper holding it next to her wasn't going to allow her to do anything.

"Then you're under arrest as well," the lead trooper snapped at Kia as he grabbed her by the arm and tugged her away and the other two snatched up Gizem and Segar who immediately began trying to fight back and protesting.

"No!" Callenia cried out, and went to move towards them but the trooper holding her back stopped her.

He wrapped his right arm around her neck and his left one grabbed her left arm and twisted it behind her back. There wasn't much she could do, unwilling to physically strike him, yet.

"Bring her as well. She's complicit in the crime of treason."

Callenia's eyes widened, treason meant one of two things, life imprisonment or death. She'd never gotten into trouble before, just minding her own business most of the time. The Empire never did anything to her, at least it hadn't before now.

"She didn't do anything, please!" Kia pleaded, trying to prevent everything that was happening as she was being hauled away.

"Shut up," the trooper snapped at her with exasperation, as if this was just an everyday chore.

The troopers roughly dragged their prisoners down the stairs to the ground floor where Titus, Erisi, and Trochime were standing together, trying to figure out what was happening. When they came downstairs Trochime's face was a mask of panic and fear. This was not what any of them wanted to see, but the sight of Callenia taken prisoner was almost too much. He immediately went to run towards the Stormtroopers, intent on stopping them. But Titus saw him and stopped him stepping in front of his friend and grabbed him and shoved him back.

"No! Don't, it won't work," Titus whispered lowly, despite Trochime's struggles.

"I can't Titus, she's innocent!" Trochime snapped anger fiercely tainting his voice, "We have to do something!"

"We can't," Erisi sadly responded, placing her hand on Trochime's shoulder.

"No! I won't accept that, I…" Trochime snapped again, but shut his mouth quickly, growling lowly as he held down his words despite nearly letting it slip the way he felt about Callenia.

"They're only going to get worse," Titus mumbled under his breath, remembering what that young rebel voice had called for.

"The rebels," Erisi realized.

"Stand up and fight," Trochime finished for him.

Titus let go, and Trochime looked at the Stormtroopers who had slapped on binders on the wrists of the family of three and Callenia with their hands in front of them. The officer seemed pleased with himself as he spoke into his comm link, calling for a transport to take these prisoners to a holding cell. The four individuals were then forced to sit on the curb with the Stormtroopers watching over them with their backs turned to the gym.

"I've got an idea," Titus said nervously, "I have no idea if it'll work, but we have to try."

"I'm game," Trochime instantly said, eager to rescue the girl he loved.

"Erisi?"

"You don't have to ask babe," she cooed warmly, "She's my best friend."

"God I love you," Titus chuckled, planting a soft kiss on her lips before stepping back, "Get dressed, go grab your speeder and be ready to drive us out of here."

"Got it," Erisi responded, and hurried into the women's locker room.

"Us too," Titus suggested to Trochime, "Then we need to grab a few things."

"I've got an idea of what we can use," Trochime replied as both of them rushed to change and prepare.

Outside things for the Stormtroopers and their lone officer were starting to get somewhat testy. A crowd was starting to gather around them. Many were shouting, protesting at the arrest of what they perceived to be innocents. There were several dozen men and women, raining down a torrent of verbal insults on the Imperials who were outnumbered and starting to get nervous. Their troop transport for prisoner transport hadn't arrived yet. It had been delayed by other, larger protests in another part of Capital City.

Their officer watched the crowd carefully, looking for signs of outright aggression. He didn't want to fire at them for verbal assaults, those were harmless to his unit, but the moment he came under direct threat he knew he'd have to give the order to fire stun blasts into the crowd, and if that didn't work, lethal force would be called for.

He heard the door to gym open behind him, and saw a young, and rather attractive young short-haired blonde girl wearing a green long-sleeved shirt and black leggings and a black skirt walk out with a gym bag over her shoulder. He paid her no mind, and turned back to the crowd which was starting to get even more restless.

"LRC-033 to base, where is my transport?" he demanded into his comm link.

"We're a few minutes away LRC-033," the vehicle in question responded.

"Be advised we have attracted a crowd, proceed with caution."

"Copy that," the individual replied as the door behind him opened up again.

He turned around just in time to see two individuals attack he and his troopers.

Leading was Titus, and next to him was Trochime. Titus had changed into a red long-sleeved shirt and black vest with gray pants with his usual black working boots. Trochime was now wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and jeans with his own brown utility shoes. Both had tied bandanas over their faces to protect their identities as they would have to along with weight gloves on their hands for physical protection. In their gloved hands they held two large bowls of white powdered chalk which they used to great effect.

Swiping the large bowls across the line of Imperials they successfully blinded them and sent them reeling. Trochime was the first to actually strike a Stormtroopers, slapping one of them across the face with the only weapon either one could really find, an electrified pugil stick four feet long. He slapped the white Stormtrooper across the face as he tried rubbing the chalk off of his blast eye pieces like the rest were doing. The blow was a powerful one and the trooper was knocked backwards, falling over a market stand of fruits.

A roar of approval came from the crowd as Titus slugged another trooper in the face, sending his opponent stumbling back and then popped a second one and then used the staff to strike him in the chest and onto the ground. This managed free up the area around the restrained family of three and Callenia who was facing away from the chalk spray and now figured out what was happening. Callenia looked up in time to see Trochime hit his second trooper in the back of the knee, knocking him down and then violently uppercut the Stormtrooper in the face with the staff. However a trooper standing right in front of her leveled his blaster at her friend, and she took action.

With a quick kick she swept the Stormtrooper's leg out from under him and he fell back as the blaster went off into the air. She then saw a Stormtrooper next to the officer lunge backwards onto the ground after another blaster went off behind her. She ducked down as a second red blast struck the Imperial officer in the shoulder, and he tumbled back onto the ground, clutching his wound.

"Titus!" she called out as she saw the guy who'd fired at the Imperials as a speeder with Erisi drove up in front of them.

Titus put the borrowed staff down next to her as he fired a stolen E-11 Blaster Rifle into the binders around Kia's wrists. He went down the line as Trochime did likewise, and got in front of Callenia and pulled down his bandana and smiled to her. She too beamed in delight at his attempt to save her.

"Hold out your hands," he said calmly and she held her wrists out for him to destroy the cuffs.

"Boy am I glad you have a crush on me," she laughed as he put the barrel to the middle of the binders. But this sentence made him slip up as he registered what she'd said.

"Y-yeah well you're welcome. Perhaps you'd be willing to grab a bite sometime after this."

"We're not safe yet Troy come on hurry up."

"Oh right."

With one very carefully placed shot the binders split apart and she was free along with the three Twi'leks. The crowd was cheering loudly by now, and Titus now noticed. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of it, he'd never been the subject of a crowd's attention before. But he knew that Imperials were probably well on their way and they needed to go.

"Guys, let's get out of here!" he yelled out and ushered the two children to Erisi who was keeping the speeder running. He then realized he didn't need the staff he'd used for a weapon now that he had a blaster rifle and tossed it to Callenia, "Here, use this."

"Thanks…but it won't do much good!" Callenia cried out, and pointed around the corner as a familiar noise caught everyone's attention, "Incoming!"

The boxy form of an Imperial Troop Transport came barreling around the corner and fired its front blaster cannons. The crowd around them scattered when the blasts struck the gym's front façade in a fiery explosion and a concussion that caused them all to flop onto the ground.

"Erisi, around back!" Titus yelled as the Gizem and Segar crouched down low in the back seat of her light blue speeder.

Erisi quickly complied rushing her vehicle around the corner in full reverse, getting into solid cover as the Imperial vehicle fired at them again. The blasts struck the ground, sending up a dirt plume behind a short-lived fireball. By now the four others on the ground had seen what had become of their favorite place in the city.

"No!" Kia sadly cried out at seeing her gym and her home go up in flames and ran to the door and yanked it open in the hopes of saving something.

"Kia!" Callenia yelled, and charged in after her, "Don't!"

Once inside she saw that a hole was in the ceiling and the floor was scattered with debris. Fire was licking at much of the wall and smoke was crowding in. The air seemed to burn as the two rushed inside.

"Callenia, go!" Kia ordered her, "I have to save my family's albums. It's all we have that is worth saving."

"We can't stay much longer Kia. Those fires are too strong."

"I have to try," the young Twi'lek responded and ran into a wall of smoke going upstairs.

Callenia just hesitated, not quite knowing what to do. She couldn't do anything about Kia going after her family album and all she was really able to do was wait here or go help. So she decided to help. Taking a big gulp of air she dove into the hot searing smoke and could see the glow of the fires behind her as the smoke burned at her nose and eyes. She knew her way around here, and by memory alone ran into the living room where she ran into Kia was pulling out a holographic tablet from her cabinet.

"Kia?!"

"I've got it," she responded and then a tower of flame belched into the room.

"Get to the fire escape."

Both of them ran forward to the window and kicked it open and ran onto the thin piece of metal outside the window. They could see that the rest of them were already in the alley, with Trochime and Titus firing their blasters at the Imperial Stormtroopers who had followed them around the corner.

Titus fired at the vehicle with his stolen E-11. The score marks on the front of the vehicle signified that he had no chance. Trochime fought back as well, firing his own captured rifle at the Stormtroopers who were firing back at them from behind their vehicle. Their blasts weren't very accurate, but the Stormtroopers weren't very impressive either, but both sides were ducking and firing, neither wanting to poke out too much.

"We need to get outta here," Erisi called out, knowing they were in a bad place.

"Momma!" Gizem called out as she saw Kia and Callenia appear behind them coming down the fire escape.

"They're here!" Erisi alerted Titus and Trochime.

"Troy get into the speeder, go!" he ordered his friend and forced to him to duck away.

Trochime ran to the speeder and sat down behind Erisi as Callenia got in behind her friend, patting her on the shoulder to let her know they were in as Titus sprinted over and jumped into the seat next to his girlfriend. Blaster fire followed him around the corner as the Stormtroopers fired at the place they'd thought the young group was still located. However they wouldn't be there much longer, Erisi was ready to floor it.

"Hang on!" the short-haired blonde called out before slamming down the accelerator.

The blue craft zoomed straight out of the alley, and the blaster fire was right there following as the Stormtroopers advanced on them with the aid of their troop transport. Erisi wrenched the controls right, turning the speeder tightly and zoomed down the long street, intent on getting out of the city. Several cannon blasts hit the ground near them as Erisi bobbed and weaved to get through the market place as people scrambled to get out of the way.

However, the Imperial vehicle gave chase, and wasn't limited to avoiding the market stands, it just ran them over, and closed with them. And just as the group's speeder was about to get away a blast shook the vehicle as the Imperial turret's blasts hit right behind and to the right of the speeder. The end raised up in the air and then came crashing down. What happened next was perhaps the worst thing that could have happened. Kia, the mother of Segar and Gizem, fell out of the speeder's open rear seat.

"Kia!" Callenia yelled, trying to grab her before she'd fallen out but missed and the light blue skinned Twi'lek fell to the ground, rolling on the dirt street before stopping in the middle of the street.

"Stop, we have to get Kia," Titus ordered Erisi, who looked back and instantly hit the brakes and turned, prepared to rush back and get her. But the speeder had traveled a long way, at least twenty or thirty yards.

But Kia wouldn't let them. She took a second and looked at the firing Imperial vehicle closing on them rapidly, and did the math. The math didn't look good and decided then and there that her children had to come before her own freedom, and her own life. Standing up and looking back at them she yelled something.

"Run! Get out of here and look after my babies."

"No!" Callenia pleaded, "We're not leaving you!"

"Mommy!" Segar cried out, holding out his arms, wanting his mother to come back, his young mind somehow knowing what was happening.

"Segar," she responded, "Promise me you'll look after your sister. It's what your father would want you to do. Promise me."

"I-I promise."

The Imperial Troop Transport pulled up right in front of her and Stormtroopers jumped out and leveled their blasters at Kia, and two of them ran at the speeder and its occupants. There was only time for Callenia to jump back into the back of the speeder, tears forcing their way to the surface. Segar then started yelling, promising something that was beyond his young years, but he understood. He knew very well what had just happened. As of that moment he was the only person his sister had left. Erisi pulled away and ducked into a side street, getting away from the Imperials who decided not to give chase and after a few more turns was out of the city. After a few seconds the speeder was out into the large expanses of golden grass, nothing around them but the grass and cone-shaped rocks and nothing above them but the clear sky. They were safe.

In the back of the speeder the young Gizem was crying, she knew that her mother was no longer with them. Her brother too had tears running down his cheeks, but he did exactly as he promised. Taking his sister in a tight hug he held her close, allowing her to clutch onto him and continue to weep. Trochime and Titus suddenly felt the weight of what had happened hit them. They looked down in their hands at the blasters they'd taken from the Empire's soldiers and used against them. Erisi herself tried keeping a straight course, fighting back tears herself along with the lingering fear. Callenia was just stunned, she was leaning against the seat, her electrified sparring staff on the ground at her feet as she stared straight ahead.

None of them had been able to really bring themselves to figure out what they'd just done or why. All they knew for sure was that they had lost Kia, who they'd all known for a very long time. They knew that they were also wanted, they'd fought against the Empire. Now, they were Rebels.

 **It wasn't easy writing this chapter, let me tell you that. Losing a mother is tough, especially for these kids. I really don't have much else to say actually. This chapter sort of says it all. They're rebels now.**

 **Next Chapter Preview: Coming to terms with the consequences of their actions, the group finds help.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lothal, Jhothal Outpost

They'd travelled until the tank in Erisi's speeder was nearly dry. Nowhere seemed safe, whether it was safe in reality or not didn't seem to matter at all. They were all just too scared, and cold hard facts had forced them to stop here. It was as small and out of the way as any place they had found. There was really no market here aside from a few farmers living nearby selling to the few residents of the little handful of buildings. They'd never heard of it, aside from Erisi.

"You sure we'll be okay here?" Trochime asked as he got out of the speeder once they'd parked behind the space port building in a back alley.

"I've only been here twice," Erisi shrugged, "Never seen any Imperials around here."

"We should be okay right now," Titus said calmly, walking out to the alley exit, "Besides, the Imperials aren't all that active at night."

"I hope you're right," Trochime replied as he walked next to him and then looked back at Callenia.

She was helping Gizem and Segar out of the back of the speeder. The two of them had been dead quiet since they'd seen their mother taken from them. They knew she wasn't dead, and that made it easier for them to handle. But losing her was a tough thing for children so young to take. They'd silently held one another crying themselves to sleep and had slept peacefully for the past four hours.

Neither of them was particularly feeling up to resisting or whining. So they followed Callenia out of the speeder and walked over to the alley exit where Titus, Trochime, and Erisi were standing and waiting, deciding what to do.

"You two okay?" Titus asked, kneeling down in front of them.

Segar and Gizem just nodded glumly, still shaken up by what had happened to their lives. But at least they weren't crying any more.

"I heard that there's a bar owner here that we might be able to get some help from," Erisi now stated, "He's an Ithorian, name's Old Jho."

"Shouldn't be hard to find," Trochime said calmly, "There's only one bar in town."

"If you can call it a town," Callenia smirked.

"There's go then, we can ask him if we can covertly deliver a message to our families."

"Unless the Empire's gotten to them first," Trochime indignantly growled.

"You, Erisi, and my family probably not. But Callenia," Titus carefully said, "I think you need to be prepared for the possibility that they've been arrested."

"My pop's an old doomsday prepper, he'll suspect something before the Empire ever gets near him," the young redhead said confidently, but the hint of fear and uncertainty was evident in her voice and on her face.

Titus and Erisi shared a look, they both felt the same thing as the other, but neither really wanted to say it.

"Lead the way Erisi," Titus motioned his girlfriend, allowing her to lead them to this bar owner who they suspected might have been capable of helping them.

"It should be right around the corner here," she said, quickly marching around the wall with the group right behind her.

After going around the corner they came upon a rather memorable entrance to the bar. It had an old LAAT nose and cockpit mounted above the door. The stencil on the front was obviously old, and done in poor taste in the eyes of the two girls and was a strange sight for the two Twi'lek children hovering at Callenia's sides expectantly. They walked in to a quiet and subdued atmosphere. Several patrons were sitting at tables, talking with each other or just sitting alone with a cup in hand. The bar owner was in fact an Ithorian, and he saw them walk in.

"What can I do for you young ones? I don't have many children's drinks here but I have some."

"We were actually here to…" Erisi trailed off careful not to speak too loudly, "See if you could help us. Are you Jho?"

"I…" the Ithorian responded, twisting the knob on his translator's volume control, "I might be. What sort of trouble?"

"It's of the Imperial variety," Titus said carefully, "We need to contact our families, let them know we're okay."

"I'll…see what I can do," Old Jho replied, carefully sliding a datapad across the bar to Titus, "But I recommend caution young ones. The Imperials have begun cracking down. The…Jedi among the Rebels has been captured."

"What?!" Erisi asked.

"You're kidding."

"I'm afraid not. The Rebels stormed an Imperial communications tower last night and hijacked its signal. That's what we heard this morning."

"Did they get any of the others?" Erisi asked, well aware that were more Rebels than just the lone Jedi.

"No, I don't think so. The Imperials would have said so, but signal has been tough to come by since they destroyed the tower and brought the entire network down."

"The network's down?" Titus asked.

"The Holonet, communications, data, everything."

"Would that include the Imperial network?" Erisi asked.

"Yeah, of course, it was their tower they blew up."

"Titus I've got an idea!" Erisi said rapidly, "But we need to hurry."

"What sort of idea?"

"The, 'we can save our families' sort of idea."

As the two of them consulted with Old Jho at the bar Trochime and Callenia had taken Segar and Gizem off to a corner table and had sat down. A droid had brought them a pair of juice drinks for the two children, who absent-mindedly began taking small sips from the straws.

"You okay?" Trochime asked Callenia, seeing that she was looking very tired and a bit cold.

"I'm okay," she replied, rubbing her arm as she looked down at the table.

"Thinking about your family?"

"Yeah. I'm worried, even if my dad knows something's wrong he still has to take care of my mom and sister. I just don't know if they'll be able to get away. Even then where would they go?"

"You have extended family right?" Trochime asked.

"Of course, I was born on Onderon. My folks left the planet after I was born because it wasn't safe any more."

"They can go back there. It's got a lot of people, they wouldn't be found all that easily."

"I guess," Callenia shrugged, "But they wouldn't leave without me. Which is why I'm so worried."

"Well, at least I've only got my older brothers," Trochime responded with a chuckle, "I'm not at all worried. We only came out here to help a family friend. All they have to do is grab a shuttle and they're on their way home."

"I'd always pitied you for that, I guess now I'm jealous," Callenia laughed quietly.

At that moment an energetic Erisi and Titus slid into the booth. They both seemed far different than they had been earlier. Now they seemed happy, almost giddy.

"We've got good news," Erisi stated quickly, "The Imperial Data Network is down."

"Good," Trochime responded, "What does that mean exactly?"

"The Imperials are having to do everything manually. They have no way of tracking us down via the Lothal databases. We can walk right through the city and they'd never even know it's us!" Titus said excitedly.

"We can go home?" Callenia asked, relief flooding her tone.

But then they noticed something. Segar and Gizem seemed even more depressed than ever. Hearing them talking about going home had reminded them that they didn't have a home any more. They didn't have their mother waiting anxiously at front door. They were alone.

"It's okay you two," Erisi said calmly, placing a hand on Gizem's, "We'll take care of you."

"What about mommy?" Gizem asked.

"Will you get her back?" Segar added.

"Yeah," Titus responded, "We'll get your mom back."

"We promise."

As they talked the Ithorian cantina owner walked over to them and was surprisingly joined by a pair of human men. At first they were shocked and afraid that he may have been an Imperial informant. But Jho must've sensed this, because before Trochime and Titus could yank out their stolen E-11 Blaster Rifles he held out his hands.

"It's okay, they're my friends. They can help you get your families off of the planet."

"Wh-what? Why are you helping us?" Erisi asked.

"It's what we do," the man said calmly, "We fight to help those who can't help themselves. We heard about what you'd done."

"What we did?" Titus asked.

"Yes," the other man replied, "Your little rescue right in the middle of the city got a lot of attention from the highest levels of our organization. Someone has decided that you might have potential."

"Here's the deal," the first one said, "We'll get your families somewhere safe. In return, join the Rebellion, fight for more than yourselves. Fight for something greater, just as some have already done."

"The Rebels who attacked the tower…" Titus grumbled.

"You're with them?"

"They're with us, but they don't know it yet."

"And why tell us?" Trochime asked, "These other guys are so great why are they outside the loop?"

"Security protocols have changed. The Rebellion is going in a new direction. You, and your friends will be one of the new teams to help us move in this direction. What do you say?"

"You promise that our families will be safe?" Titus asked.

"Of course."

The four young individuals had herd this and were incredibly excited about the possibility of this new adventure. The one great fear they all shared was that their families would be in danger was now gone, and here they were, ripe with the possibility of doing something they'd wanted to, but were afraid to do. That was going to end, they were still afraid, but they were ready to face that fear.

"We're in."

 **It's a short one, but the next chapter is going to be a much longer one and I'll have a new direction for the story to go. Hopefully it's one you all like, because I've really got my mind set on this.**

 **Next Chapter Preview: Joining the Rebellion.**


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